Mountain View County council has started the process to have railway crossing lights installed on Twp. Rd. 324 south of Olds.In a motion passed last week, council directed interim CAO Tony Martens to investigate grant opportunities for the project, as funds can be applied for under the Railway Safety Act.Div. 7 Coun. Al Kemmere specified in the motion that the application be for lights only, in the hopes of speeding up the process."Seven years ago we applied for lights and arms (directly north on Rge. Rd. 15) and got approved four months ago," Kemmere said.The request, he added, "came about after some discussion with people in the area."The last crossing upgrade involving lights and arms cost about $215,000, staff reported.CPR may still want to include crossing arms at the site, operational services director Steve McInnis said."But it will take time," McInnis said. "Even longer than a road closure."Council had earlier passed two bylaws closing statutory road allowances west of Rge. Rd. 52, north of Water Valley, after the province finally approved the closures."The road was constructed here due to the heavily sloped lands, and Big Prairie Creek crossing the right of way in several locations," staff reported. "As a result of the road construction, the statutory road allowance is no longer required for public travel."The northern portion of the road allowance will be transferred to Municipal Reserve, while the status of the southern portion will be determined after administration presents options to council for its disposal.
